Mental health is a much talked about topic today, and with this there has been more discussion surrounding mental health in the workplace.
The future of the trades industry relies on improving standards and having a skilled and committed workforce. Making sure this workforce is properly looked after and is comfortable talking about their mental health is essential for this.
Mental Health in the Trades: 2022 Report
According to a report carried out by Ironmongery Direct, 4 in 5 tradespeople experience mental health issues due to their job. This is a staggeringly high number, and something that the trades as a whole need to address. Individual companies can do what they can to look after their team’s wellbeing, but a culture shift with collaboration between trade associations and businesses is essential to reducing the number of workers who experience mental health problems.
Stress is the leading cause of mental health issues within the trades, with 64% of those in the industry experiencing work-related stress once a month or more. This issue is most prevalent in younger workers aged between 18-24, where 94% experience mental health problems every year at work. Other age groups are greatly affected as well, though. Almost 1 in 5 people aged 35-44 struggle with their mental health every day.
Improving Mental Health
At Taylor Roofs, we’ve taken steps to look after the wellbeing of our team. This stems from creating a culture of openness, where individuals can feel comfortable speaking about their mental health concerns without fear of judgement. This was a big topic of discussion on our last Away Day, where we focussed on educating and encouraging the team about mental health in the workplace and the non-judgemental stance we should take towards it. We operate in a male-dominated industry, who are often more reluctant to talk about problems they are facing than women, so the importance of letting our team know that mental health problems aren’t something to be ashamed of is a huge part of looking after their wellbeing and creating an open, judgement-free environment.
We’ve also provided our team with opportunities to improve their mental health. We run weekly five-a-side sessions which are a great tool for bringing the team closer together, and have recently given everyone the chance to have a float session on us. These gestures go a long way towards creating a happier, closer working environment, which only goes to raise the standards of our work.
